The present invention relates generally to a method of altering human blood glucose levels and, more specifically, to a method of treatment of hyperglycemic conditions by the application of electric charge to the body.
Hyperglycemic conditions such as those present in the diabetic can have serious and irreparable consequences, for example, blindness, impotence, and other problems resulting from impaired circulation. Conventional methods used to treat hyperglycemic conditions have had varying degrees of success. These methods include administration of pharmaceuticals such as anti-rejection and hypoglycemic agents, insulin injections and pumps and, more recently, pancreatic tissue transplants. Control of blood glucose levels through the application of a uniform, monopolar pulsed electromagnetic field has also met with some success, at least in test animals. U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,051, issued Jan. 31, 1984 to Findl et al. herein incorporated by reference. This method, however, although lowering blood glucose levels, does not reduce them to normal levels.
The method of the present invention provides a simple, non-invasive technique for altering human blood glucose levels by the application of electric charge. The method of the invention can be used to decrease in vivo blood glucose levels to normal or medically-acceptable levels by the application of electric charge directly to the human body.